Friday 28 March 2008

Easter Weekend Holidays

We left the boat & the never ending list of jobs & headed for a “land” holiday! The fact we were heading for Fiji's only sand beach break at a river mouth may have tempted Bobby to leave Barraveigh!
Getting there with two surf boards on a bank holiday with no local buses running makes it a challenge. We hitch hiked to Lautoka where we caught the intercity bus to Sigatoka. Now just the small matter of trying to wedge the surf boards into the small lockers under the bus!
Our accommodation at Club Masa, by Sigatoka's sand dunes, was basic to say the least. One of those places upon setting foot in it you wonder how long before you can leave. Sometimes they quickly grow on you & you fall in love with the place. Once we had patched up the holes in the mozzie net with plasters we were happy! A small wobble on Bobby's smile when he was told that the only place he could buy a cold beer was back in town a 30min taxi ride away!! ; )
Club Masa had no electric, hence no fridge, no inside shower, no hot water & the worst food I have eaten in a long time (Gilly you are a chef in comparison!!!). However it was quiet, peaceful, beautiful views & full of friendly locals (we were the only guests in a hangout for the local surfers at the village). Horses & cattle wandered freely around the lodges grounds, minor prob when they went on a stampede & stood on a local guys surf board! Frogs came out at night & joined you in your room & in the toilet! But we still loved it!
We ate our meals in the dining room looking out of three arched windows, the shutters were open giving a fabulous view of the sand dunes. It was also a great position as we could throw out our meals to the owners puppy, Fiji. It was a win win situation for all, the dog got fed, we didn't offend anyone as it looked like we loved our dinner, although maybe that's why they kept serving us the same meal each day - a smashed up chicken which included all bones & skin (although the pieces were now no bigger than an inch long!) some curry sauce & a huge bowl of rice!
The evenings were spent playing cards by oil lamp or drinking cava with the locals. I still dislike it & think it tastes like the water left over from washing potatoes - a cold G&T would be far more welcome! When the hunger & need for a cold drink got too much we headed into town.
The surfing was a no go for me. Huge clean waves, but before you even got there you had to get past a shore break. The current was so strong you were quickly down the other end of the beach & I lost all my nerve! Oh did I mention you had to dodge huge logs that are flowing down the river into the sea & that sharks like to feed at river mouths! Yep I think I made the right choice taking up position on the beach in the shade. This meant trying to hide under a branch that had been washed up on the beach!
Bobby got back into his surfing ways after 6 months off. He surfed with the locals who were on boards of all conditions. Some didn't have leashes as the end of the board was in bits, others were missing fins & had holes in them. Bobby spent a morning as the surf doctor helping repairing their boards!
All in all we loved our holiday away from Barraveigh but were also happy to get back home to her!

1 comment:

test said...

Thought I'd check out Club Masa on Trips Advisor, can you believe no-one's reviewed it yet!!